Three fighters moved up in the women’s bantamweight division this week, while one fighter moved down. No fighter moved by more than one spot in the rankings.
Down this week from No. 11 to No. 12 is Miesha Tate, who last had her arm raised in July 2021.
Irene Aldana moved up to No. 5 from No. 6, Karol Rosa is up to No. 9 from No. 10, and Norma Dumont is up to No. 11 from No. 12, trading places with Tate.
Looking Towards Next Week
The highly anticipated UFC 291 card could have massive implications on the rankings across several divisions.
Headlining the event is the rematch between No. 2 lightweight Dustin Poirier and No. 3 lightweight Justin Gaethje. A victorious effort for either of these fighters could put them in a position to challenge for the lightweight division belt going forward, so the implications are massive.
The card features another No. 2 vs No. 3 bout, this time in the light heavyweight division between No. 2 ranked middleweight Alex Pereira and No. 3 light heavyweight Jan Błachowicz. With Pereira fighting up a class, this fight marks an opportunity for both fighters to potentially challenge for the throne.
Also on the main card, ranked welterweights No. 7 Stephen Thompson and No. 15 Michel Pereira will face off on Saturday in Salt Lake City. A loss for either of these fighters could see them in danger of dropping out of the rankings entirely.
In another welterweight bout, No. 12 Michael Chiesa will take on unranked Kevin Holland in a match that could potentially see the winner in the rankings next week and the loser on the outside looking in.
Unranked heavyweight Marcos Rogerio de Lima will take on No. 11 Derrick Lewis. A win is vital for either of these fighters if they want to either stay in or enter the top 15 of this competitive division.
